Digital: How to start?

[Michele]

I have absolutely no idea where to start. (Check my siggie )

I have an iMac, I assume I need to purchase software, what are my options? I don't even know the names of any other than photoshop.

I have been doing traditional scrapping for about 6 years now but I spend SO much at the computer playing with my pictures I'm sure I could get alot more done digital scrapping and not have to wait to get the pics printed etc.

 

[RCDisneyFan]

I'm a mac user too and just switched to digital a couple of weeks ago. I use PSE and I like it alot! When I was looking for advice, there were a couple of programs people mentioned, but everyone said PSE is more flexible and allows more room for growth / to do really fancy stuff. I like being able to add drop shadows and create (and save!) ribbon frames I make for layouts.

So, I started with PSE, a scanner, and all the freebie kits I could find. In addition to the Disney Kits thread here, monitor ikeagoddess and digifree for oodles of free stuff on a daily basis.

I also made all my pages 8.5x11 so I could print directly through iPhoto (apple makes a lovely book!)

 

[Michele]

I'm a mac user too and just switched to digital a couple of weeks ago. I use PSE and I like it alot! When I was looking for advice, there were a couple of programs people mentioned, but everyone said PSE is more flexible and allows more room for growth / to do really fancy stuff. I like being able to add drop shadows and create (and save!) ribbon frames I make for layouts.

So, I started with PSE, a scanner, and all the freebie kits I could find. In addition to the Disney Kits thread here, monitor ikeagoddess and digifree for oodles of free stuff on a daily basis.

I also made all my pages 8.5x11 so I could print directly through iPhoto (apple makes a lovely book!)

Thanks for the response!! It does sound very easy, PSE and then printing straight from iPhoto. I'll have to think about it and try to wrap my head around 8.5 x 11. I think it's because I'm a very symetrical person and the square page is very easy for me to manuever. I've always preferred 12 x 12, but the photo books would be SO easy.......I'll give it some thought.

 

[RCDisneyFan]

It's not too hard, once you get used to it. I like 12x12 myself, but a photobook that's only 9 inches tall is so much easier to find room for! It does mean that template pages are pretty useless (they become 8x8) but it's not an issue if you don't use them anyway..

I liked using iPhoto's template in conjunction with PSE because I occasionally did a page that was just a single landscape picture - sometimes I like to let picture speak for itself - no journalling, no embellishments, etc and 8.5x11 is closer to the photo ratio size. I also used iPhoto template pages when I had a group of unrelated pictures. So sometimes I got to be lazy with my scrapping.